When legalization is implemented in Canada this October, cannabis in the province of Manitoba will be subject to a wholesale markup and a government fee.

The provincial government is applying a 75 cent markup per gram with an additional nine percent at the wholesale distribution level.

Additionally, six percent will be added to a retailer’s annual revenues. The provincial fee will be known as a “social responsibility fee” and will take effect sometime next year.

The Progressive Conservative government in the province says they will use that money to help pay for public education, safety enforcement and addictions programs.

The City of Halifax’s Regional Council recently announced their decision to restrict any smoking on municipal streets and sidewalks and the reactions are varied.

The decision was made following concerns about legal non-medical cannabis, but the law will also apply to tobacco as well as vaping.

While many residents and city officials are happy with the decision, others believe their rights are being infringed upon.  “If I get fined, I’m not paying the fine,” said Senji Boubnov, Halifax resident and ex-smoker turned vaper.

“We pay the taxes, we completely financially support them. The fact that they do this to us is completely ridiculous, and I will have to leave Halifax if this gets passed; I can’t live here.”

The number of people charged with marijuana-related crimes in Canada last year was at the lowest level in 20 years, continuing a six-year downward trend as the legalization of the drug approaches.

According to police-reported crime statistics released Monday by Statistics Canada, about 13,800 people were charged with possession of marijuana in 2017, which will mark the last full year that pot will be illegal.

This compares to 28,000 people who were charged with possession in 2011.

Cross off yet another "marijuana first" for 2018. So far this year we've witnessed:

RCMP police dog Klotz poses next to seized marijuana in an RCMP handout photo. There are a number of police dogs across the country who will be out of a job before October 17, as the RCMP prepares for cannabis legalization.

Earlier this month, the RCMP threw a retirement party in St. John's, N.L., for a Labrador retriever named Luke.

As the saying goes, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and as cannabis legalization approaches, that puts Luke and other dogs like him out of work.

Luke, who sniffed more than five million of dollars' worth of drugs during his time on the force, is one of 14 canines across the country who will be out of a job before October 17.

Imagine being able to take a few million dollars in start-up capital and turn it into $193 million in just 6 months.

Well, that’s what a small Canadian investment company is about to do.

And in the process, it’s made a big success of its business strategy.

The company is Scythian Biosciences Corp. (TSXV: SCYB.V; OTC:SCCYF), a Toronto-based investment firm building a global cannabis network.

The Canadian cannabis stocks we’ve dug up have been largely oversold over the past two weeks, providing a cheaper entry into the space

SmallCapPower | July 26, 2018: Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a measure of price momentum. High values above 70 indicate that a stock may be overbought, while low values below 30 indicate it may be oversold. Over the last month, many cannabis stocks have seen a consistent decline in their prices on increasing volumes. The Horizons Marijuana ETF has declined by 15.4% in the past 30 days, suggesting a sector-wide correction. During the past two weeks, the Canadian cannabis stocks on our list have posted an average RSI of 14.5, providing investors with a potentially cheaper entry into the industry or a possible swing trade on the rebound.

In less than three months marijuana will officially be legalized across Canada and Oct. 17 will be a big day for law enforcement, as research is still underway to determine how the practical implications of the new legislation will be rolled out.

Earlier this month the federal Ministry of Public Safety announced it is launching a three-year study into the effects of cannabis on drivers. The nearly million dollar study will place drivers aged 19 to 45 in simulated driving scenarios to see how different levels of THC – the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis – affects their driving ability.

When it comes to vaping and smoking cigarettes, the rules and regulations are pretty strict. Now, even stricter rules are coming to the smoking scene across the country.

More specifically, Bill S-5 is set to regulate vaping products and create plain and standardized packaging for tobacco products across the board.

The Bill recently passed through Parliament and received royal assent.

What changes are on their way? Well, many tobacco regulations will soon apply to vaping - aka. e-cigarettes - too, ban certain flavours of vape liquid, and revamp cigarette packaging entirely.

When Halifax council approved the city's new cannabis bylaw last week, the reaction was understandably fierce. Smoking is now illegal outside. It's also illegal inside. What was presented by HRM as a sensible first approach to dealing with cannabis legalization has, instead, been condemned for its potential for abuse.